Sexual assault on five-year-old in Chhattisgarh, accused arrested

Raipur, May 4 (IANS) A man, who allgedly raped a five-year-old girl in the Bhatgaon police station area of Chhattisgarh's Surajpur district, has been arrested.

The accused, Ramkumar, was arrested by Chhattisgarh Police on Saturday night from the forest area of Udaypur police station area in Sarguja district, the investigation officer told IANS.

According to the officer, the 35-year-old accused was a servant in the house of the victim for the past two years.

On May 2, he lured the innocent child to another room on the pretext of playing with her and committed the crime.

When the innocent girl was found crying inconsolably, her mother questioned her and came to know about the incident.

The girl's family lodged a complaint at the Bhatgaon police station.

The police lodged the FIR and during investigation came to find that the accused took the girl to another room of the house, committed the crime and fled," the police officer said.

Ramkumar will now face charges under section 4 of the POCSO Act and 65 (2) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the officer said.

A few days ago, a six-year-old girl was sexually assaulted in the Durg district. The accused, the victim's uncle, burnt her private parts and killed her.

In another incident last month, a 13-year-old boy sexually assaulted a three-year-old neighbour while she woke up and stepped outside. She was later found crying, with visible signs of distress and stained clothing. Her mother and neighbours alerted the police, ultimately handing the accused over to the authorities.

Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) paints a grim picture of Chhattisgarh, where sexual violence against minors remains alarmingly prevalent.

Many of these cases involve perpetrators who are either relatives or acquaintances of the victims. Raipur, along with other districts, has been identified as particularly unsafe for young girls, the NCRB said.

--IANS

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